Two gunmen opened fire at a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach, killing 11 people in what police declared a terrorist incident.
SYDNEY: Two gunmen opened fire at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday, killing 11 people and wounding multiple others during a gathering for the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.
New South Wales police said emergency responders rushed another 29 people to various hospitals from the famous beach.
One alleged shooter was killed at the scene, while the second was left in a critical condition.
Police declared the shooting a “terrorist incident” and revealed they found suspected improvised explosive devices in a vehicle linked to the deceased offender.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the attack targeted Jewish Australians on the first day of Hanukkah.
“This is a targeted attack on Jewish Australians on the first day of Hanukkah, which should be a day of joy, a celebration of faith — an act of evil, antisemitism, terrorism that has struck the heart of our nation,” he said in a televised address.
The shooting occurred during the annual “Hanukkah by the Sea” event in the afternoon.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog condemned it as a “cruel attack on Jews” and urged Australian authorities to step up the fight against antisemitism.
Crowds fled in panic from the beach, a major tourist draw in eastern Sydney.
“We heard the shots. It was shocking, it felt like 10 minutes of just bang, bang, bang. It seemed like a powerful weapon,” said Camilo Diaz, a 25-year-old student from Chile at the scene.
Emergency services first responded to reports of shots fired at 6:47 pm local time.
One witness said he personally saw six dead or wounded people lying on the beach.
The grassy hill overlooking the sand was strewn with items discarded by people fleeing, including an abandoned children’s stroller.
Paramedics tended to multiple casualties on the grass, and a weapon resembling a pump-action shotgun was seen by a tree.
A British tourist, Timothy Brant-Coles, told AFP he saw “two shooters in black with semi-automatic rifles” and multiple wounded people.
Another witness, local resident Harry Wilson, told the Sydney Morning Herald he saw “at least 10 people on the ground and blood everywhere”.
Bondi Beach’s local Waverley Council said it was “deeply saddened” by the horrendous act during the Chanukah festivities. – AFP
